1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to: a data communication system provided with an authentication device and with a data transmitting apparatus that is connected in a manner permitting communication with the authentication device and that provides a restricted function corresponding to a user authenticated by the authentication device; and a data transmitting apparatus employed in this data communication system.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, multi-functional machines are used widely in which functions such as copying and printing are combined with various communication functions so that facsimile communication and e-mail transmission and reception are made available. Data read by a multi-functional machine by means of a scanner function can be printed on recording paper or alternatively transmitted by facsimile transmission through a telephone line. In addition, the data can be transmitted broadly to a network in the data form of an attached file of an e-mail or the like.
On the other hand, apart from the copying function, the printing function, and the facsimile function of the multi-functional machines, ordinary users do not sufficiently understand the variety of functions in multi-functional machines in practice. Thus, a concern is present that read-out data is transmitted carelessly so that secret data is leaked to a third party by a destination specification error or a data selection error.
In order to avoid such situations, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-49327 discloses a technique that a user having undergone LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) authentication specifies addressees, and then registered destination information is obtained automatically. Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-104180 proposes a technique in which in a case that erroneous transmission is avoided by transmission restriction such as closed area connection, the transmission restriction can temporarily be removed by password authentication when emergency arises or alternatively when the transmission restriction need be removed for a particular user.